Retired military personnel and civilian activists demonstrated in the center of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Wednesday to protest the deteriorating economic and living conditions and the rise in the exchange rate of the dollar against the lira.
The participants, who staged a sit-in in front of the parliament, held the political authority and the Central Bank responsible for the country's crises and collapse at various levels.
The protesters demanded an increase in salaries commensurate with the rise in commodity prices and the collapse of the value of the national currency, and called for increased medical benefits, educational grants and social assistance for employees.
For its part, the Lebanese National News Agency reported that the intensity of confrontations between demonstrators and the riot squad intensified after the protesters tried to remove the barbed wire leading to the entrance to the Saraya in Riad al-Solh Square, adding that security elements threw tear gas at the demonstrators.
In this context, the Association of Banks in Lebanon (private) announced on Tuesday evening the suspension of its strike after a week of closing its doors, on the occasion of the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan.
The dollar exchange rate reached more than 140,105 Lebanese pounds in the parallel (black) market, before falling shortly after to <>,<> Lebanese pounds to the dollar.
Since 2019, the Lebanese have been suffering from an unprecedented severe economic crisis, which led to a record collapse in the value of the lira, in addition to the scarcity of fuel and medicines, and the collapse of purchasing power.